Friction costs

What are Friction Costs?

Friction costs are the time, effort, difficulty or discomfort involved in taking an action. They act like a tax on the task: waiting, finding information, entering details and reaching a service location all ask something of the person.

Types of friction costs

Some costs are physical, such as travel. Some are cognitive, such as understanding instructions or comparing options. Waiting adds time, while an uncomfortable interaction can add emotional cost. The burden depends on the person and the context.

An example from financial-aid applications

Bettinger and colleagues (2012) tested application assistance combined with information. The combined support improved application and college outcomes; information alone did not. Helping people through a process can matter in ways that explaining its benefits does not.

How to assess friction costs

A ten-minute online application may be easy for one person and inaccessible to another. Look at users' time, errors, access needs and outcomes. Count what the steps require, not just how many there are.

Why it matters

A person can want an outcome and still be unable to get through the process. Friction costs make those demands explicit. The task is to remove unnecessary burdens while keeping steps that help people understand consequences, prevent errors or access the service.